Heavy residual oils such as no. 6 residual are stored in large holding tanks. Often such oils contain portions of tars, carbon and exceptionally heavy portions which eventually settle out in storage. With accumulation of the settled sludge, the storage tank has to be taken out of service and cleaned, with concommitant loss of time and fuel.
Another storage problem is water condensation and accumulation, which can lead to bacteria formation and fuel deterioration, as well as freezing, depending upon the ambient environment.
Prior art attempts have been directed to solving certain of these problems, with only limited success.
Now there is provided by the present invention a dispersant which disperses the sludge and causes rapid settling out of dispersed water for easy removal.